Coupler for miniature railways



June 27, 1950 J. n... M KISSOCK COUPLER FOR MINIATURE RAILWAYS Filed May24, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

John Z. M- jfiissocis,

ATTORNEY Patented June 27, .1950 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Thisinvention relates to an improvement in couplers and has particularreference to couplers for use with the so called miniature railways toserve as draft connections between the locomotive and between the one ormore cars that may be connected thereto.

The invention contemplates a coupler constructed in such manner as toserve as replacement for the standard couplers now furnished with therolling stock on the miniature railways now in use and overcomes themany objections of the present manufactured couplers, such as inabilityto couple on curved track and the further objectional feature of theinability of such couplers to permit a sufficiently small radius turnwithout causing the coupler to become disengaged or a resultantderailment of the car.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a coupler forconnecting and disconnecting the adjacent ends of miniature railway carseither on a straight or curved track, such coupler constructed in suchmanner as to be yieldably mounted for flexing either laterally orvertically and further provides means engageable by a ramp for causingthe couplers to be disconnected.

A further object of the invention resides in the extreme simplicity ofthe device. simulating in many respects the conventional couplers onmodern railways and formed with an arm extension to be engaged by aramp, such arm'e'x- 2 Claims. (Cl. 213-88) in each instance, beingmerely reversed at each end of the car. Two adjacent cars are indicatedat 6 and I, supported upon wheeled trucks 8 and 9, adapted to travelupon a conventional pair of rails l0.

Each coupler comprises a generally rectangular frame ll, open at top andbottomv and formed with a flared forward end I2 to serve as a bumper anda connecting means for the adjacent coupler. The coupler is preferablyformed of relatively thin sheet metal for ease in shaping andto'minimize the cost of manufacture. The coupler is provided at its rearportion with a horizontal attaching flange l3, preferably stamped as anintegral part of the frame and substantially flush with the upper edgeof the frame. The flange is provided with a plurality of attaching screwholes It, whereby the coupler unit may be conveniently secured inposition upon the bottom of the car, as indicated. The flange portion i3is provided with a down-turned ear l5, having a lug I5 bent therefrom ata right angle parallel to and toward one side of the frame H. The lug 16has soldered. connection as at It with a close coupled coil spring ll,lying who11ywithin the frame and parallel therewith and to one side ofsaid frame.

' soldered or otherwise permanently connected with the free end of thespring IT, as at H" is'a tension in appearance simulating a conventionalair hose connection between cars.

Other and important objects of the invention will present themselvesduring the course of the following description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, where:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of adjacent ends of two miniature railwaycars, showing the invention in use and a track with an uncoupling rampillustrated for engagement with the coupler,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the adjacent ends of the cars in uncoupledposition.

Figure 3 is an end view of a car and an uncoupling ramp, with itsoperating means.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a complete coupler unit and,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the coupler, taken on line 5-5 ofFigure 4.

Referring specifically to the drawings, Wherein like numerals refer tolike parts throughout, 5 designates the coupler as a whole, mounted uponthe underside of each end of. a railway car as shown in Figure l. Thecouplers are identical coupling member E8 of generally c-shape,projecting above and below the flared end l2 and forwardly thereof. Theupper end of the memher [8 is provided with a bevel end hook i9 forengagement with the flared end i2 of an adjacent coupler. The lowerportion of the member I8 is formed in a relatively long curved portion20 terminating in a rounded end 2!, for engagement with an uncouplingramp, to be described. The spring I! is sufficiently stiff as tomaintain the member [8 in proper coupling position at all times, butwill permit ready shifting of the member I8 in a vertical direction forboth coupling and uncoupling and laterally for freedom of movement topermit the cars to traverse short radius curves. The lateral flexingalso permits the coupling of cars on curves. which has been impossiblein couplers now in use.

The numeral 22 indicates generally an uncoupling ramp, comprising anelongated flat strip having its ends curved downwardly, as at 23. Theramp is positioned parallel with and equidistantly spaced between therails m and is supported for vertical movement upon a rod 2%, heldagainst turning by any suitable means. The rod 24 extends below thetrack bed and has pivotal connection with one arm of a bell-crank lever25, pivoted to the underside of the track bed, as at 26. The other armof the lever 25 may have connection with an operating cord or wire 21,whereby the operator may rock the lever 25 to raise and lower the rampfrom a remote point. While a mechanical means has been illustrated tooperate the ramp, it will be obvious that a suitable solenoid may beemployed for causing the raisin and lowering of the rod 24.

In use, identical couplers are attached to the ends of the rolling stockby the flanges l3, with the free ends of the coupler units projectingtherebeyond. When it is desired to couple the cars, they are movedtoward each other until the flared ends l2 engage the bevel ends of thecoupler members l8, causing them to flex upward and ride over the edgeof the ends 12 and snap their hooked ends therebehind. a coupling bemade on a curved track, the member l8 at the shortest radius of the turnwill engage first and, when the cars reach a straight track; the othermember I8 will complete its engagement. The spring I! permits freedom ofturning movement of the cars without disengagement of the coupler andthe slight spacing between the member 18 and the end [2 will afford someslight shock absorbing qualities in the starting and stopping of thetrain.

When it is desired to upcouple two or more cars, the operator spots thecars in question and when the forward end of the car in advance of thespotted car reaches and passes over the ramp 22, the cord 21 is pulled,causing the ramp to rise into the path of the rounded end 2| of themember l8 and when the coupler ends ride over the ramp, they cause themember ill to move upward against the tension of the springs I! forreleasing the hooked ends H] from their respective bumpers l 2, afterwhich the ramp is permit ted to drop by gravity to assume itsinoperative position.

It will be seen from the foregoing that an extremely simple andefficient type of coupler has been provided for miniature railways. Thecoupler is strong, durable, cheap to manufacture and highly efficient inuse.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precisearrangement shown, but that it includes within its purview, whateverchanges fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of theappended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is: I

. l. A coupler for miniature railway cars comprising a rectangularframe, open at top and bot- Should tom, said frame provided with aflared forward bumper end, attaching flanges formed upon the rear end ofthe frame, a coupler member arranged in the frame and projecting aboveand below the frame and forwardly of the bumper end, a coil springconnected with the coupler member and with the rear portion of theframe, said spring lying wholly within the frame and to one sidethereof, said coupler member provided with a bevel engaging hook at itsupper free end and a curved ramp engaging portion at its lower free end,said spring permitting vertical and lateral movement of the couplermember for coupling engagement and disengagement to and from a co-actingcoupler and a ramp movable into and out of the line of travel of thelower free end of the coupler member.

2. A coupler for miniature railway cars comprising a rectangular flatwalled frame having a flared forward bumper end, horizontal attachingflanges formed integral with the rear portion of the frame, aright-angled attaching lip bent from the flange and lying within theopen rear end of the frame, a lug formed upon the lip, a coiled spring.permanently attached to the lug and arranged within the frame parallelthereto and to one side thereof, a coupler member arranged within theframe and permanently connected to the forward end of the spring, saidcoupler member ,formed of generally C-shape and projecting above andbelow the frame and forwardly of the bumper end, said coupler memberprovided with a bevel hook at its upper free end and a curved rampengaging portion at its lower free end, said bevel hook lying in thepath of travel of the bumper end of a co-acting coupler, a ramp movableinto and out of the path of travel of the lower curved end of thecoupler member and means for controlling the ramp.

JOHN L. MCKISSOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 277,379 Thigpen May 8, 18831,236,149 Coventry Aug. 7, 191'? 1,257,904 Machoroski Feb. 26, 19181,750,314 Forchheimer Mar. 11, 1930 1,852,916 Boisselier Apr. 5, 19321,989,804 Holfer et a1. Feb. 5, 1935 2,213,286 Pettit Sept. 3, 19402,261,258 Kinnear Nov. 4, 1941 2,263,959 Tyler Nov. 25, 1941

